China lifts export limits on rare earth minerals
Having lost its case before the World Trade Organization China has lifted the limits it had placed on the export of rare earth minerals back in 2009.
Because of low costs, China produces about 90% of all rare earths worldwide, needed for most high tech electronics. This decision eases a concern that has existed now for better part of a half decade.
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Having lost its case before the World Trade Organization China has lifted the limits it had placed on the export of rare earth minerals back in 2009.
Because of low costs, China produces about 90% of all rare earths worldwide, needed for most high tech electronics. This decision eases a concern that has existed now for better part of a half decade.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
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3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
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I doubt the Red Chinese will fully comply.
http://ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-today/china-defends-rare-earth-stance-smuggling-exceeding-legal-exports
http://rareearthinvestingnews.com/19427-rare-earth-smuggling-still-rife-in-china.html
China has had a problem with its REE industry.
They tried to force foreign investment into REE industries inside China by restricting exports of the raw materials. But it didn’t quite turn out as they hoped.
It turns out that governmental corruption is so bad in China that they could not stop the smuggling of the stuff out of the country.
Not small quantities but HUGE amounts were being smuggled out. Amounts larger than the total of the legal amounts shipped. Something in excess of 20,000 tons were smuggled out the year after the limits were imposed.
After years of trying to stop it with little to no arrests it looks like they finally gave in.
Corruption is so bad in China even moving in Army troops didn’t stop it. The new military commanders were just paid off like the old ones were.
Its believed by many that the real heads of the smuggling operations are in fact members of the Communist Party of China (or just ‘The Party’) and are those in charge of the provinces and regions. Thus almost untouchable.
The WTO ruling did little to change their minds. If they could have stopped the smuggling they could have ignored the WTO. Everyone would have been pretty much forced to come to them and thus the central national government for the minerals.